27/08/2013

Like cycling? Want to try cycling with a difference? Ever thought about bike polo?

You may know very little about this so-called new and undergound sport, but did you know that bike polo was in fact an Olympic sport in the 1908 Games in London? And that in 1938, there were more than 170 official teams and more than 1000 players across the country? To be honest, we didn’t either until we had a look on Google, but it goes to show how popular this fantastic sport once was. And now in 2013, the spirit and profile of bike polo are stronger than ever, especially with tournaments like the London Open which took place over the bank holiday weekend.

So, we are looking for cyclists to come along as teams/players and remember, it’s free to enter and bikes/mallets will be available for loan. Note it is a beginners’ tournament and so, we are asking that all players have no more than a year’s experience playing polo to be fair to everyone. If you’re not sure of the rules, have a look atbike polo rules

As with cycling in general, there is a fantastic spirit of community at the heart of bike polo games, so even if you’ve never played before, come along to the Open Sessions to watch or even have a go to see if you like it.

One last piece of trivia. What do Bradley ‘Wiggo’ Wiggins & HRH Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh have in common?

Well, the truth is they have both played bike polo! In Tour de France winner Bradley’s case, it was as a teenager at the Herne Hill Velodrome, which in the 1930s was the very heart of the national game. Whereas in the case of HRH Prince Phillip, it was at Windsor in 1967 and it was also on grass as opposed to the comparatively more recent evolution of the hardcourt game.

And so if you come along and take part in the Open Sessions or the Tournament itself, with Bikeminded’s bike polo programme, you will not only have the chance to be in the same company as Olympic royalty, but also actual royalty!